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How much breastfeeding with solids?

I have a 7 month old baby girl. She is of normal weight, but when I was breastfeeding alone she wanted to eat every hour, so my doctor thought maybe I was not producing enough milk. I started solids at 5 months and she loves solids. She will eat up to 1 cup of prepared oatmeal cereal 2 times a day and about 4oz of jarred food as well. She still breastfeeds in the morning, 2 naps, and at night, but only for about 7 minutes on one breast. Her heatlh is my main concern and I am worried that she may not be getting enough breastmilk in her diet, but I also dont have the time to still be breastfeeding her every hour like before. Does anyone know how many breast feedings a 7month old baby should have while also having solids 3 times a day?

Re: How much breastfeeding with solids?

From what I know, breastmilk is supposed to be the main source of nutrition for the first year.
Solids are introduced and slowly increase during the second half year of life.

When you say 1 cup of oatmeal twice per day, is that dived or is that two cups? That sounds like a lot of cereal.

Some babies have a strong need to suck and will nurse often to fullfill that need. The fact that she was nursing so often, doesn't mean that you were not making enough milk. If you were finding she were extremely fussy and not having enough wet/poopy diapers , then maybe.

Some ped. push cereal earlier under the guise of needing more iron, but the iron in cereal is not very absorbable.

What does your ped. think about the amount of nursing and that amount of solids?

My gut instinct (and experience in a daycare for 7 years) that many babies, even formula fed babies do not normally consume so much solids at such a young age.

I believe that smaller meals would encourage more nursing.
I often offer to nurse right before a meal. There might be a five minute nursing session and then everyone sits down to eat.

I am guessing that you could find a balance between what she is doing now, and what she was doing two months ago.

Personally, I would feed less food in general but most certainly less cereal and more whole foods like banana, sweet potateos, avacados etc

I think of cereal as a filler. A practice food. You learn how to eat it but it doesn't have much nutrition.
So if you are replacing perfect nutrition (breastmilk)with something, let it be something nutritious.

Re: How much breastfeeding with solids?

My ds is soon to turn 1 year old (in a couple weeks) when I plan to return to work. His grandma will be watching him during the day. He doesn't eat much solids now but is slowly beginning to do so - his meals aren't more than a table spoon or 2 so far, once or twice a day. How much milk should he have when he turns 1 as compared to solids?

Re: How much breastfeeding with solids?

i've read babies should nurse about 4-6 times a day after solids are introduced. i nurse about 4 times a day during the week, plus dd gets 3 to 4 5-6 oz bottles at daycare. She usually has 2-3 meals of solids a day. i try to concentrate on meals of fruits, veggies, and yogurt; not so much on cereal which tends to constipate. when i do give cereal, it is whole grain. Also--i always nurse before giving solids.

Re: How much breastfeeding with solids?

Instead of starting another thread with the same question I will chime in here. My ds is almost if not 20lbs with 8 teeth at 7.5mo. He sits and crawls on belly and is very alert and long (wears 12mo cloths). Here is my problem. He plays way to much and is way to interested in the world around him during the day to nurse much. I always offer breast before solids. I usually offer the breast between 3-4 hours unless I think he wants more. But during the day his feeds are awful. So I put milk or F in a sippy (whatever I have) and try to get him to drink with meals. Sometimes he does and others he just lets it drool right back out of his mouth. He eats good, about 1/4-1/3c cereal with 2oz fruit in the morning, about 2-4oz veggie at lunch and around 2oz fruit with 2oz veggie at dinner time. Again always breast first. Lately he has refused dinner and today refused breakfast. I give him frozen blueberries, banana and string cheese during snack times if he seems hungry or won't eat. Here is the other problem he nurses around 630p at bedtime, 12a, 4a, 6a. He will not sleep any different than that schedule. I am recovering from cervical surgery and hysterectomy all since the middle of Feb. and am exhausted. I continue the night feeds because at least he is getting the milk then but want to cut out at least the 4am feed. I do not know what to do...............any suggestions?

Not to mention he still is in his co-sleeper or bed with me and I would like to transition him so I do not have to worry about him crawling off the bed or out of the co-sleeper. I do not know how to do it without just plan letting him CIO and I can't bear it as he will cry for hours.